My Delightful Girl Chun-Hyang

Yesterday afternoon I had some free time during my lunch hour and decided to watch a little of the drama My Delightful Girl Chun-Hyang. I already knew a little about the drama from wikipedia and friends who had already watched it, so the beginning sequence threw me off. The beginning sequence showed the setting to be a historical one, and at a very dramatic part of the Chung-Hyang story - where she is about to be killed for her actions. However, unlike Im Kwon-Taek's Ch'unghyang, the actions in this historical sequence are extremely caricatured and melodramatic. Instead of being realistic and seriously portrayed, Myong Ryong's cronies are flying kung-fu masters who leap over walls in an unrealistic manner. In this way, the drama has more similarities with CLAMP's Chun-Hyang in that the action is very fantasy-oriented and unrealistic.

As the episode progressed, it was clear that the drama wasn't a historical one at all, and actually based in the modern world. I don't know why the producers decided to have the historical sequence be a lead-in to a modern day teen drama, but I can guess. They might have wanted to emphasize the cultural importance of the Chun-hyang character, that she wasn't just another run-of-the-mill protagonist. It actually reminded me a lot of chapter seven in High Pop, "Film, Fidelity, and Literature", because it was so much like the many film examples cited in that chapter, such as 10 Things I Hate About You. Chun-hyang is an old legend and was adapted to modern-day settings to draw younger audiences in and to make Chun-Hyang that generation's "own" legend, regardless of the drama's fidelity to the original tale's plot and purpose.

I noted some more similarities between this Chun-Hyang tale and the other two we have studied in class. Like in Im Kwon-Taek's Ch'unghyang, Chun-Hyang and her mother are considered visibly lower class. Her mom is an entertainer in various nightclubs, which resonates strongly with the kisaeng role. Like in the CLAMP manga, this Chun-Hyang is a feisty, hot-tempered girl who is fiercely against "perverts". Early on in the episode, Chun-Hyang gets into a conflict with Myong Rong over being a pervert and taking inappropriate pictures of her. This misunderstanding leads to a mutual dislike, which is perhaps similar to the beginning of Im Kwon-Taek's movie.

Unfortunately, I only got to watch one episode of the series, so I don't know if they continue with the historical lead-in sequences in other episodes, or if there are any traditional themes "reinvented" in the drama.

If anyone is interested in watching this drama, you can find it here.

Chun Hyang and the Stereotype of Women

The legend of Chun Hyang is a story of a commoner named Chun Hyang that attracted the attention of a yang bang’s son, Mong Ryong. During Mong Ryong’s quest for Chun Hyang, they fell in love. However, Mong Ryong had to go away for three years to study for his scholarly test, promising Chun Hyang he would come back and telling her to wait for him. During his time away though, a new tyrannical yang ban came to reside in town. He desired Chun Hyang but Chun Hyang refused him repeatedly which resulted in her sentence to prison.
Chun Hyang is a renowned tale in Korean society, where a woman is made famous and celebrated because of her unwavering loyalty to her husband and unwaveringly honoring her marriage. Chun Hyang is viewed as a great woman figure that is looked up to and glorified. Why is this? Perhaps this is because Chun Hyang reflects Korean society’s value in women. While it is great for a man to be a famous war hero like Yi Sunsin and dedicate and sacrifice his life for his country, in comparison it is considered great for a woman to remain loyal to her husband and honor her marriage unconditionally.
This reflects the stereotype of women in general. Traditionally women are solely supposed to be wives and mothers; their dedication is to be to their family. Korean Society’s stereotypical view of women is portrayed through the legend of Chun Hyang. This legend which reflects a traditional view of women originates from a long time ago in history. Nonetheless, this legend is still popular and used frequently in media. Why is this so? Why does a legend that is old fashioned and stereotypical still hold a large popularity? Does the continuous use of the legend of Chun Hyang mirror modern Korean society and perhaps imply that modern Korean society still thinks of women in a traditional stereotype?

Challenging Channeling the Inner Feminist

Although llankhof makes some good points I would like to clarify some things and defend Chunhyang as an independent female hero.
First off the "independent woman is not one who just has power, but also knows how to deal with that power and with her own emotions as well" is a tall order to ask of any woman at all times let alone a fourteen year old.
Could it be that Chunhyang, like you pointed out is only fourteen years old and does have the emotional issues of most fourteen year old girls. She is a wonderful role model for younger girls because of her wit and how she stands up for what she believes in. It is true that she is a bit immature with her emotions, but that makes her more relateable to a young girl. The point made about her physical ability is, I believe, shed under the wrong light. In the first chapter of the manga it shows a girl who took revenge by killing the man (the yang ban) responsible for her mother's death. Later on in the manga it shows her as a young child fighting with imperial guards for freedom (of using a playground, but it is freedom nonetheless). This girl is an independent girl who is out traveling, has power, and has some emotional issues but is strong and consistent in her beliefs and morals.
The Yang ban woman that took over a town with the help of her Mudang is not very strong physically. While this is true, the Yang ban has emotional control over her Mudang which I'm assuming is her lover as well as her personal warrior. I do not agree with taking complete control over a man, but the yang ban manages to do exactly that. She is not independent in the sense that she can do it all on her own, but she takes control and does what she needs to do. She's a woman in control. She not only has great control over her own emotions but the emotions of a man who does her ever will. (Besides the points made before, I feel like this whole issue of the female Yang ban not being an independent woman, as defined by llankhof, does not really matter because she is the villain and not the hero or role model to be followed.)
ChunHyang's mother is least emotionally weak of all. It is true that she kills herself, but that is not because she could not defend herself from the Yang ban, but because it was the last thing she could do to preserve her beliefs and the safety of others.
The manga Legend of Chung Hyang portrays multiple women who are independent both physically and emotionally who are perfect role models for the girls reading the mangas.

Similarities Between "Sassy Girl Chun Hyang" and "Goong"

Although the television show “Sassy Girl Chun Hyang” is based on a fairy tale and “Goong” is based on the popular manhwa by Park So Hee, I found many similarities between the two when I watched at least one episode of each. This lead me to believe that many Korean TV dramas, or at least the ones directed at teen girls, are very similarly formulated.

“Sassy Girl Chun Hyang” is based on “The Song of a Faithful Wife, Ch’unhyang” in the same way that the American movie “Clueless” is based on Jane Austin’s Emma-- that is, very loosely and in a modern sense. “Sassy Girl Chun Hyang” takes place in modern day Korea and the main character is a fashionable, fun-loving teenage girl. High school plays a large role in the series, as do her friends and boys. Everybody has already seen the first episode of “Goong”, but I will sum up “Sassy Girl Chun Hyang” for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

Chun Hyang is a very smart high school-aged girl living with her single mom (her dad is dead) who has trouble paying the bills. One day she jumps over a high wall into a local garden and lands on top of Mong-ryong, the rich son of a police officer who just moved to town. He accidentally takes a picture up her skirt with his cellphone so she breaks it by stomping on it. He steals her phone in revenge, and that is the start of one bad interaction after another until they both hate each other. Then it turns out that he is in her class at school, and all her female classmates think he’s very attractive. One night Chun Hyang is sick and her mother has to go out for the night, so Chun Hyang’s friends Dan-Hee and Ji-hyuk come over, and Mong-ryong, who is good friends with Ji-hyuk, tags along. Mong-ryong ends up drinking an entire container of what he thinks is juice but what is really plum wine, and becomes very drunk. He falls asleep outside in a corner and Dan-Hee and Jo-hyuk leave, thinking Mong-ryong has left before them. During the night he gets cold and crawls into the house, strips down to his boxers, and crawls into Chun Hyang’s bed and under her blanket. She is still sick and asleep and doesn’t realize he is there until her mom returns in the morning and finds them sleeping there. Their parents don’t want to be dishonored, and Chun Hyang and her mom can’t move away because her mom would have to find a new job and Chun Hyang would not be able to keep her place at Hanbok University. So Mong-ryong’s parents and Chun Hyang’s mom decide that their kids will get married even though they are still in school. That way Chun Hyang will be able to go to the university, and Mong-ryong’s dad is convinced that she will transform his slacker son into a respectable man.

As you can see, this story line is similar to “Goong” in many ways. A fashionable, funny, cute yet strong-willed teenage girl who wants to be a clothing/accessories designer is the main character. She and a rich, handsome teenage boy meet accidentally numerous times through a series of incidents and soon begin to hate each other. Then their parents announce that they must get married and the girl must move into the boy’s house, even though it is modern day and they are still in high school. In both stories the girl’s mother or parents have trouble paying the bills and making ends meet. I think these stories play into the theme that we discussed in class a while ago, the “every girl/woman’s fantasy”, where a poor but intelligent girl gets married to a rich and handsome man, and although they hate each other at first, they end up falling in the love and living happily ever after. Since all of these “teenage love” shows are turning out to be so popular, it really must be something that many Korean women are interested in. Why is this type of show so popular in Korea, yet we have little or nothing (I don’t think-- I don’t know much about popular TV shows in the US) of that genre in the United States? If TV producers here tried to make a modern TV drama out of Cinderella or some other fairy tale, would people be interested?

Male Femininity and Female Dominance

Korea seems to have begun a new trend where stereotypical gender roles have been swapped. Korean men who were previously viewed as the typical "macho" man (i.e. strong masculine features, number one in the househould, the family's "moneymaker", somewhat emotionally indifferent, etc.) are now beginning to focus on the latest fashion trends (metrosexuality), and sharing the work in households with their wives; these were traits in men that Korean society had previously labeled unnacceptable a couple years back. Similar "backward" trends can be observed in contemporary women. Women of Korea are no longer excpected to be the fragile, innocent individual obiding by their husband's rules and needs before their own. Women can now be strong, independent, high-powered career women without being considered too "masculine". It has also become more lenient as to what age women are to be married; women can also choose whether they want to marry or not a little more freely than in the past. But why is there this great forward movement in Korean culture?

This might be a bit of a stretch, but I believe this trend is due to Korea's efforts in globalization. Koreans might believe that following the trends of other powerful nations could keep their nation considered just as successful. Korean male teens have begun following high fashion trends of American or European apparel, wearing what westerners might wear, like the "skinny jeans": http://image.auction.co.kr/itemimage/017/27/96/0172796192.gif. There are also numerous fashion magazines now dedicated for men, as well as women. Women are also no longer restricted from working as well as housekeeping. Just out of personal experience, my mother's friend is a professor, and another is an insurance agent. They are actually admired, not discriminated against, for being able to keep two jobs: being a wife/a mother, as well as keeping their current occupation in the work field.

However, as much as Korea may be progressing towards change, the population is still wary and cautious. The men still "...worry about what those around them might think"* if they were to act more like a housewife than a business man, as is expected of him. Also, if I remember correctly, Chae-Gyung's parents (from the drama "Goong"), who have reversed roles in the household, were quite poor and amongst the lower class. Could this be suggesting something to the public? For instance, could this mean that Korea isn't quite ready to completely accept the idea of reversible gender roles ("androgynous", as Chosunilbo describes the matter)?

*This is the article I found the quote in, if anyone is interested: http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200412/200412260015.html

Channeling the Inner Feminist – Manwha & Manga

Something that bothers me the most about romantic manhwa and manga is the way the “strong female” is presented. Not because I have a problem with there being strong females, but because no matter how “strong” the female is, she is portrayed as emotionally weak and unstable underneath it all.
The reason I bring this up is because of Clamp’s “The Legend of Chunhyang.” While this piece may seem to portray women in a positive light, there is something that really bothers me about the story. It just seems to me that, even though the women are so seemingly independent, the men often become the dominant figure in the end. Clamp’s Chunhyang is young and high-spirited, but is only really able to channel her emotions through violence. I know the violence is essentially there for comic relief, but I find it all extremely annoying. I realize I’m asking a lot of a thirteen-year-old girl, but it really bothers me that women are often portrayed as emotionally unstable and immature. Chunhyang can deal with matters easily when the right and the wrong are so obviously defined, but when it comes to confusing emotional matters she either breaks down or kicks somebody or both. Not exactly what I would call a role model. Not to mention that when it really comes down to a trial of emotional and physical strength, the Am-Hang-Osa has to help her out. Chunhyang is not the only case of this in the comic, either. The female Yang Ban in the second scene seems like an independent (albeit a bit corrupt) woman, but in reality she can’t really do anything without her male Mudan. This can be seen in the scene where Chunhyang and the Am-Hang-Osa confront her after defeating her Mudan. She calls for him, and when they tell her that he is no longer there for her, she breaks down. Again, not my idea of an independent female.
I think I feel this way because my idea of an independent woman is not one who just has power, but also knows how to deal with that power and with her own emotions as well. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the leads in romantic comics don’t know how to do any of that and they come off as blubbering, whiny, violent and apparently “cute” and it just frustrates me to no end.

Globalization vs. Nationalism

We discussed the two ideas of nationalism and globalism in previous classes and I was glad to find a few articles in the news that somewhat demonstrated these ideas. The first article I read discussed the rise of imports with the simultaneous decrease in exports and of the Korean “Hallyu” Wave. Over the past few years, there has been a significant spreading of the Korean culture through various goods and other representations of the Korean pop culture such as soap operas, television dramas, and popular music, which later on extended into films, computer games, musicals, and sports.

However, despite the spread Hallyu Wave in the previous years, it seems as though nowadays, the imports from other countries are more noticeable than the exports going out. American TV shows such as “Sex in the City” and “Prison Break” have also become big hits in Korea, as well as Japanese dramas like “Nodame Cantabile” and other Japanese music. Globalization seems to be occurring more so in Korea, rather than the spread of Korean culture into other outside countries.

Another article described the growing emphasis that is being placed on the English language in the education system in Korea. The demand for English is high and so children are being taught the language beginning at elementary schools. In addition, some forms of the English study comes at a cost whether it is through private school tuitions and the money it takes to attend tutoring sessions after school (hakwon). This importance placed on the English language is due to Korea’s eagerness to “conduct business” in the global market. It has come to the point where fluency in English is now often required for jobs. This could perhaps show globalism of the Western culture into Korea.

In the final article I read “The nation’s profile is changing”, it introduced a man named Syedanjum Hussain, who faced discrimination in the workplace and society due to his skin color. Hussain, a Pakistani man married a Korean woman. As a result, he was fired by the owner of the factory where he had been working. Cho Won-Ki, the secretary general of the Korean Migrant Worker Welfare Society described discrimination as being the result of “deep-rooted pride Koreans have in their racially homogeneous nation”. It was also noted in a magazine that Koreans often use the term “pure-blood” to describe their nation. The mixing of cultures in the future seems inevitable, but with these notions of “pure-blood” that still remains in Korea, how far could globalization go? Also, can there be globalization of Korean culture out into the outside world without the globalization and integration of the outside world into Korea? Or, can nationalism and globalism coexist together and if so, how would that balance be maintained?

Kayageum vs Beatbox

I was browsing around some Korean commercials, and came across a particularly interesting one promoting some Daelim (a company name) Korean apartments called "e-pyunhan-saesang".

This is the link if anyone's interested in watching; it's only 3~4 minutes long, so it won't take up much time!:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtaMH9d3B2Q

I found it intriguing that several women were playing their "kayageum", a traditional Korean intstrument, to the sound of beatboxing and DJ record scratching. The kayageum vs beatbox, traditional vs new. It was also interesting to see that the women playing their kayageums were all in a more traditional black uniform, while the hip-hoppers were in a more casual outfit. It was as though not only their instruments, but also their styles of practice and living were fused together in one commercial. Once again, I thought of the matter of simultaneous nationalism and globalization.

This reminded me of something that Gi-Wook Shin stated in his article, "The Paradox of Korean Globalization". Shin stated that, "...English is considered the necessary means to secure Korea's position as a first-rate world nation... all of the school's courses, except Korean language and history, are taught in English. KMLA (Korean Minjok Leadership Academy) stongly emphasizes the cirriculum aimed at enhancing Korean national identity."(Shin, 5). I know we discussed this a number of times in class, but I wanted to expand on this a little more. Korea is so keen on saving its traditional values, but at the same time is equally keen in keeping the nation just as developed as other countries. Like in KMLA or the kayageum vs beatbox commercial, they try to blend together two large concepts that, as Shin's title suggests, creates a great paradox.

I understand Shin believed that globalization and nationalism are not paradoxical, but in fact "compatible". However, I still don't understand how a nation could thrive with both concepts so strongly in mind. Wouldn't the population lean a little more towards one or the other? According to Shin's statistics, I found that the majority of Korea appears to lean towards nationalistic ideas. For instance, more of the population in Korea could not use computers skillfully (something that could arguably be considered a more recently developed task, and not much of a "traditional" task). Also, although most agreed that English should be the second language of Korea, most everyone would defaintely agree that English should not replace Korean (Shin, 14&18).

In conclusion, this brings up another thought in my mind. Perhaps Korea isn't trying to blend globalization and nationalism together. Maybe they're actually trying to buffer the globalization, which inevitably occurs within every country, with some nationalistic ideas. Maybe the commercial attracted so much attention because the director found a way to incorporate more recent trends of hip-hop and breakdancing with the traditional ways of the kayageum.

Any thoughts?

Goong: A Fairy Tale for All

Soo Hee Park’s manga, The Royal Palace Goong, portrays a young girl who obtains a twisted fairy tale in real life. Goong is about how a high school girl must marry the crowned prince of Korea. Crowned prince of Korea? This may sound a bit awkward for Korea, today, has a republic, not a monarchy. However, Park spins a tale of fantasy where an everyday girl has a chance to become royalty. The main character, Shin Chae Kyung, finds out in her senior year of high school that she must marry the rude crowned prince, Lee Shin, who also attends her high school. At first she downright refuses for she overhears him proposing to another girl and she also realizes that he has a repulsive personality. However, after realizing that her family is in a swirling amount of debt, she agrees to marry the prince. Then what about the prince? Doesn’t he like another girl? However, the prince also agrees to marry her for he states, “Why would I subject a girl I like to a life living like a doll in the palace?” Chae Kyung replies, “What about me?” Shin then answers by saying nonchalantly that he agreed to this marriage for he doesn’t care about her. The story progresses from there. The wedding is set and Chae Kyung is to become the next royal princess of Korea by marriage. This manga created a huge sensation in all of Korea, it appealed to not the typical young girl, but also to adults, even grandparents. I believe that this manga appealed to such a variety of ages for it appeals to the aspect of a normal, everyday girl experiencing a fairy tale of where she becomes a princess, just like Cinderella. However, this storyline possesses a twist, for where this is not a marriage out of love. It is a symbiotic relationship in which marriage will give both characters a source of benefit. Chae Kyung’s family will no longer be in debt. Prince Shin will obtain a wife who he does not care about in the least, but will be protecting the girl he likes and at the same time, preserve the royal bloodline for the generations to come. However, though this marriage is first spun out of complete apathy for one another, involving no romantic feelings, their relationship begins to blossom as they both realize that there is much more underneath than what meets the eye.

Chun Hyang: Im Kwon Taek vs. Clamp

Unlike, Im Kwon Taek’s movie, Chun Hyang, Clamp’s manga, Legend of Chun Hyang, portrays Chun Hyang as a woman and heroine of strong independence and skill. In Im Kwon Taek’s movie, Chun Hyang, she is portrayed as a passive and docile woman, who only stands up for herself when she must preserve the dignity of her husband. However, within Clamp’s version of Chun Hyang, she is an extremely independent woman, who does not ever depend on men. She possesses extreme martial arts skills that frequently defeat men in combat. She is almost so strong-willed to the point of being frequently “violent.” For instance, Mong Ryung, her “companion,” would always say, “I keep asking you, if you’re going to use violence, you really have to warn me” (Clamp 95). I believe that these two differ extremely as a result of the difference in time period and target audience. By Im Kwon Taek staying true to the folk tale of Chun Hyang, he portrays the tale within the time period of the 18th century. During this time period, Korean women were very subservient to men for Korean was predominantly patriarchal society. I believe that Im Kwon Taek did not have a specific target audience. I believe that he tried to appeal to the older and younger generation. By creating a historical drama, it would tend to appeal to the older generation. However, by also incorporating teenagers as the main characters, it would also attract the younger generation. Clamp is a manga that targets young girls, such as teenagers. If Clamp stayed true to the original Chun Hyang, a person who tends to be very docile and subservient would not appeal to young girls. Therefore, they create a drastic change in Chun Hyang’s personality. She is a fighter who is very independent. She is a heroine who defeats evil with good and avenges her mother’s death. Also, she frequently rescues the villagers from the tyrannical rule of the yang-ban, a person sent by the government who is to become ruler of that certain location. I believe that it is these characteristics that appeal to young girls and make Clamp so successful, for it is the ideal idea of independence from men that is so alluring, for the majority of societies today are mainly patriarchal.

Keeping the Culture Alive

Up to this point, many of the blogs posted thus far have dealt with matters, theories, and topics that we have studied in class and read in the books. Therefore, I thought it’d be interesting to share with a post that is a little different. What is happening today in the Korean news? What is the culture like today? As I was browsing the news, I was surprised to discover a number of articles that were relevant to the things we discussed in class.

In the first article I read was titled “A Life Dedicated to Pansori”. I immediately noted the “pansori” in the title and so I was drawn into the article. The article followed a woman named Ahn Sook-sun, who committed her life to practicing and perfecting pansori beginning from the age of nine. The article about Ahn Sook-sun depicted her immense love for the art of pansori. The article listed the extensive music al background which Ahn Sook-sun came from, which included a second cousin, who played the daegeum, an uncle who mastered dongpyeonje, as well as an aunt who mastered gayageum. The article also described the enormous amount of practice that Ahn Sook-sun undertook. In order to perfect the sound of Korean classical music, Ahn Sook-sun took extreme measures. She recalls memories of practicing so much until the point where even her physical well-being was in jeopardy. Ahn dropped to a mere 39 kilograms (about 86 pounds) and at her first encounter with the gagayeum, Ahn played until her fingers bled.

In another article that was posted on joongangdaily.com,I read about a man named Kwon Moo-suk who had also dedicated himself to a practice: Korean archery, also known as gakgung. Similarly to Ahn, Kwon grew up with a background in gakgung. Kwon is part of the 17^th generation of a bow-making family. However, Kwon is different from Ahn in that he did not plan on doing gakgung; gakgung was not his original passion and he refused to learn the skill at a young age. Kwon held a job as a government official before he dedicated his life to gakgung. Kwon decided to give up his former life as a government official when his brother announced at a family gathering that he would be the last bow-maker in the family since his children refused to learn the skill of bow-making. What is most notable and admirable in these two articles is Ahn and Kwon’s extreme dedication and commitment to their art. Ahn expressed that she “felt as if the sky had fallen in if I wasted just one hour without practicing pansori”. Kwon, too, demonstrates great dedication by the act of giving up his previous life and job.

One thing I noticed through the articles about the lives of Ahn Sook-sun and Kwon Moo-suk was the fact that long-established traditions like pansori, other forms of Korean classical/traditional music, and gakgung, were kept alive by the passing them down through the family line. (This could perhaps be correlate with the scene of Im Kwon Taek’s Sopyonje where the father is critiquing and training his children in the ways of Korean traditional music.) We can see that any tradition can be a vital aspect of a country’s identity and so, it is certainly crucial to keep these traditions alive and well, the way Ahn and Kwon clearly have done. Their efforts have paid off. Various aspects of traditional culture and tradition can be spot in the news and media. An example of this could be seen in the obvious fact that articles have been written to highlight the lives of Ahn and Kwon. This could be considered as proof that there is appreciation and respect for Korean culture and tradition, as well as to those who have kept it alive throughout history. We can also see Korean culture alive and well through the various renditions of Chun H’yang seen on TV dramas and through plays, numerous renditions of the life of Lee Sun Sin in a countless number of books, and mangas and dramas about the fantastical life of the royal family.

(I have no idea...how it got this long. Sorry guys)

Pop Culture Establishing a New Reality

I recently came across an article entitled, "Blood Type B Unlucky for would-be Korean Romeos," written by Jon Herskovitz, revealing that men with B blood types are being discriminated against in the dating scene in South Korea. Lee Sung-san, a 24-year old South Korean male with a B-blood type says, " 'I have had women tell me flat out they don't date blood type-B guys. They say we are selfish and hot-headed' " (Herskovitz).
In Korea and many other Asian countries, one's blood type is thought to reveal something about one's personality and the compatibility between two people. For example, people who have type-B blood are considered "goal oriented and strong minded individualists" and are compatible with other type-Bs or type-ABs. This phenomenon of blood-typing personalities is said to have originated in Japan in the early 20th century. However, it is only recently that that Type-B men are being discriminated against. In his article, Jon Herskovitz places blame for this new trend on Korean popular culture where Type-B men are portrayed as selfish, fickle and absolutely useless as caring and devoted boyfriends. They are seen as the "bad boys"--fun, but not suitable for long term commitments.
Kim Nang's book, "Dating a Type-B Man" is a guide for women of all blood-types on how to deal with the "pitfalls and pleasures of striking up relationships with type-B men." The 2004 song "Type-B Men," sung by Kim Hyun-jung, is about a woman who has a boyfriend with blood type B. From the lyrics, one concludes that Type-B men are "quick to get angry and quick to make up, but in the end, they will break your heart." The 2005 movie, "B-Hyeong Namja Chingu" or "My Boyfriend is Type-B" is a romantic comedy in which a Type-A woman and a Type-B man "meet by accident after a row over him ruining her cellphone. She believes they were destined to meet, but the problem is, he has blood-type B, making him spontaneous and emotional but unreliable" (www.imdb.com/title/tt0452972) .
Although the correlation between one's blood type and personality has been disproved, many still believe in the validity of this practice. This lead me to question, how can popular culture override a proven fact?
I think this could be explained by Dominic Strinati's "An Introduction to the Theories of Popular Culture." The mass consumerism of the book "Dating a Type-B Man," the movie, "My Boyfriend is Type-B," and the song, "Type-B Men" shows their appeal to the mass culture, which "celebrates trivial, sentimental, immediate, and false pleasures . . . preferring the undemanding ease of fantasy and escapism" (Strinati 14). This phenomenon also falls under Strinati's theory of postmodernism, where popular culture and mass media, ". . . govern and shape all other forms of social relationships" (Strinati 224). The reality of how we define ourselves and the world around us can become distorted through how the masses perceive the reality presented to us through popular culture (Strinati 224). Essentially, these forms of popular culture have shaped their view of male B-blood types and seems to have strengthened the idea of the blood-type personality theory into the consciousness of South Koreans.

Thoughts?

You can find the article at http://www.natashatynes.org/newswire/2005/04/blood_type_b_un.html

Heaven's Soldiers 2

As I watched “Heaven’s Soldiers” I was reminded of some of the material we read earlier this semester. In “The Past Within Us”, the author mentions “in Southeast Asia, the start of the twenty-first century has seen a boom in the popularity of movies depicting formative moments in national history,” while Thai historian Charnwit Kasetsiri states that there is “mass public enthusiasm for these popular representations of historical consciousness”. While Lee Soon Shin is not a formative moment in Korean history, he is a famous historical figure and thus “Heaven’s Soldiers” plays into this new wave of Korean films. As Jim Collins puts it in the introduction to High-Pop, it is “making culture into popular entertainment”.

As Malika mentioned, there is also the idea of national identity and national pride, and I think “Heaven’s Soldiers” has plenty of that as well. Lee Soon Shin is a national hero and by bringing him to a popular film and therefore a younger generation, his story continues to be passed on, but in a way that teenagers would probably find more interesting than a textbook reading in school. It is made additionally entertaining by the spin on the movie, where the viewers are seeing Lee Soon Shin before he is famous and when there is a possibility that he may never be, based on the interactions between him and the time-travelers from the future. However, the director does not take for granted that all viewers of the film would already know the story of Lee Soon Shin, as you can tell from some of the script (such as when the character says his name, that he did not pass the military test, etc. and the modern-day characters dramatically gasp and exclaim, “Lee Soon Shin has that family name and did not pass his military test either!” for the viewers who don’t know that already and might be so slow that they haven’t guessed it yet.) Or perhaps they are just putting lots of emphasis on the historical details so it is really drilled into the heads of the audience.

That being said, I think it would be interesting to look at the gender roles in this film. From my point of view the only woman in the movie was a comical character based on her actions and expressions and was kind of whiney, although she was also the smart one who figures out when the comet will return. I feel like the men, on the other hand, have a sort of male honor and bravery thing going on where in the end they all return to fight with Lee Soon Shin and die in a spectacular battle against evil. Any thoughts?

Heaven's Soldiers

Watching Heaven's Soldiers was an interesting insight into the Korean perception (though I'm not rushing to assume that all Koreans think this way) of Korea: North Korea, South Korea, and Korea as a united country.

The North Koreans in this movie were often portrayed as sometimes blind, but staunch and admirable followers of their leader (as exemplified by one of the North Koreans' ignorance of who Lee Soon-Shin was), whereas the South Koreans are portrayed as more friendly and humane. For instance, when the North Korean leader is attempting to weasel out the information from Lee Soon-Shin, they were clearly going to use violence, whereas the South Korean leader steps in and uses more humane tactics to persuade Lee. However, in the end, they all ended up fighting and dying together, which perhaps shows the underlying desire of "all" Koreans to finally have a united Korea.

Another thing I realized after watching the film was how nationalism is passed on to newer generations. Throughout the film I found myself laughing at many parts, and was often confused by the genre switching - from a war film to sci-fi to comedy and back to a war film again, but I enjoyed the experience. There wasn't any point in the film where I felt that I was watching a documentary or something "educational" - it felt like pure entertainment to me. However, I did feel a very strong sense of nationalism/pride emanating from the movie. If nothing else, I could at least understand that Lee Soon-Shin was a national hero who symbolized a united and strong Korea against a powerful and intimidating enemy. The director utilizes pop culture in order to inspire a new generation to be proud and fond of this legendary figure and to make him their "own" Korean hero - instead of him being an unreachable, detached figure in the distant past.

What do you guys feel about the images portrayed in Heaven's Soldiers? Or how nationalistic pride was shown in the movie?

Korea's Image of Women: Endurers of Suffering?

I found an interesting correlation between the portrayals of women in the forms of Korean media we have studied thus far. It's pretty neat because it seems so different from what one would expect of a Korean (or any culture's) image of women… As the article on Feminism focused on "how and why popular culture and the mass media have dealt with women and their representations in an unfair, unjust and exploitative manner" (Strinati, 160), one might think of the usual stereotypes—domesticated house wife, dependent on males, helpless, weak, their bodies depicted as objects, etc.—of women. It's amazing, however, that I did not necessarily find these stereotypes as apparent in Chun-Hyang, Goong, and Soppyonje.

I was first struck by CLAMP's comic book rendering of the story of Chun-Hyang. The yang-ban’s son says "She may be the honorable mudang of koriyo, Wall Mae… but she is still just a woman" (CLAMP, 48), an obviously sexist thing to say. Immediately I thought, 'Is this the image of women in Japanese or Korean society?' But I came to realize that there was a whole different image contradicting this. An obvious side is how Chun-Hyang is illustrated as defying all cultural or stereotypical norms of a girl—being rambunctious, outspoken, daring, and independent… but that may have just been the comic book version of the story. From what I know of the "actual" (I don't know if there even is an "actual" story, hence the quotation marks, since I know so many different version of the story exist… so correct me if I'm wrong but…) tale, Chun-Hyang is forced to endure a lot of pain and suffering for choosing the "righteous" path—that is, remaining loyal to Mong-Ryong despite his absence and despite the temptations presented to her by the other government official. Also presented (in CLAMP's version of the story) is a parallel theme within Chun-Hyang's mother; despite the death of Chun-Hyang's father, Chun-Hyang's mother chooses to remain chaste, preferring suicide over remarriage.
Anyways, what I'm trying to get at is that there is this ongoing image of women and how they, throughout history, have had to endure much suffering (' han'?). More than having a typical sexist view of women as inferior, I find that a lot of the Korean media we have looked at in this course have, on the contrary, revered women for their strength and endurance of the sufferings and oppressions they have faced.

Look at another example, Goong. We have already discussed the element of self-sacrifice evident in the main heroine's decision to marry the prince, against her will, for the benefit of her family. This image of the female character is more respectable, than degrading (despite her having to live a "domestic" life in the palace or, in the drama's case, give up her dream of becoming a fashion designer).

Im Kwon-Taek's Soppyonje, I feel, epitomizes my observation. We see the dramatic climax in the final scene between Song-hwa and her brother and, as we discussed, the meaning of the word 'han'. I'd like to draw attention mostly to the parallel between her and her singing the p'ansori version of the Korean folktale of Simchong. Both Song-hwa and Simchong submit to a sacrifice of some sort in order to fulfill the duty of a filial daughter. It's interesting how in this tale, and many other Korean folk tales, women are portrayed as heroines or main characters (ex. Chun-Hyang or Chae-Kyung). Simchong They are regarded as heroines for their endurance and for their strength in the face of adversity.

I'd like to tie this in with a book I've read by Sook Nyul Choi, titled "Year of Impossible Goodbyes". Perhaps some of you have heard of it or even read it… if you haven't, I HIGHLY recommend it, it's a really easy read (I read it back in elementary school) but it's both interesting and informative. If you're into Korean history, it's definitely a must-read! ANYWAYS… to give you just a gist of it, the story follows the life of a young girl in Korea during Japanese colonization and all the adversities she and her family faced during this time. Her brothers are off at a training camp and her father is away at some resistance movement while she is at home with her mother and her aunt. Despite all the cruelties the Japanese soldiers impress upon them, these women endure and continue to struggle to survive without the presence of men to protect them. One scene in the book describes how the Japanese deceived the Korean citizens by selling them a sack of rice which was actually half filled with sand, making the sack seem heavier and more valuable. Throughout the story, the Japanese soldiers constantly harass the girl's mother and the women working in their sock factory, and in the end the women are taken away to be "comfort women"… etc… The novel is fiction, but the events are also autobiographical, which brings me to my next point.

In Korean culture, because of its history and background, there is an underlying understanding of the importance of women to society… perhaps the general population as a whole has a different outlook altogether compared to cultures that have not experienced these same events in their pasts.

What is Im Kwon Taek's deal?

I am completely shocked and appalled after watching Chuhyang the movie. I was excited after reading the comic – the Chun Hyang character so feisty and strong, portraying such a positive image of women. I was not expecting what I saw in the movie. I am hoping the different direction the movie took from the comic book is due to the need to please an older age group. Assuming that the movie was targeted to an older crowd (looking at the sex scenes), perhaps Im Kwon Taek thought in order for the storyline to be more relatable to his audience, stereotypical gender roles would have to be followed. This is good news for the younger generation, whereas in the comic book more pro-feminist characters are written.

In the comic book I was impressed that the two main female characters are indeed strong role models for girls. The mother is a highly respected medicine woman. She is extremely kind, opening her home to Myong Rong, and consistently supportive and affectionate of her daughter, Chun Hyang. The mother asserts herself and her own self-respect by killing herself when faced with the Yang Ban’s foreseeable rape. She raised Chun Hyang to be a strong, self-reliant girl even at a very young age. Never to be pushed around, Chun Hyang is always willing to speak up or physically fight when she does not agree with what is going on.

Unfortunately these powerful characters were not translated to the film. The mother is not a medicine woman, but instead a courtesan, a less than honorable position. The warmth of the comic book mother is gone, and she constantly reminds her daughter to submit to men in powerful positions. Chunhyang complies with her mother when Myong Rong asks her to marry him. She does not seem interested in him, pushing him away, having him forcibly remove her clothing. What surprised me the most was after they had sex, Chunhyang was suddenly in love with him! This sends a very dangerous message to viewers that there is nothing wrong with violence against women and that “no” really means “yes.” Along with their morbid courtship, I was sickened to see Chunhyang completely fall apart when Myong Rong told her he had to go to Seoul. She was weak, whiny, and perpetuating the stereotype that women are “emotional” and “crazy.” The only time Chunhyang had any strength in the movie was while being beaten for not sleeping with the new governor, she did not break down and give consent. Her strength came through her love and “duty to serve” her husband. The Chunhyang character sustains that women are subordinate to men, modest, and chaste.

What a disappointment the film was. Although I already speculated before why the comic book and movie contain such different storylines, why else would Im Kwon Taek choose this route?

Goong's Popular Wave

The fictional story of Goong is one that fascinated and enthralled Korean media viewers and readers with no prejudice to age. It is a story that "re-imagines" Korea, pretending that the Japanese Colonial period did not exist and that the Korean monarchy still reigned. This fiction glorifies what once used to be the Korean monarchy and with it the treasured but often neglected traditions of this prideful country.
It evokes nostalgia and pride for the older generation as they reminisce the time before they had to endure intrusion of the Japanese in their country. There is still a large number of Koreans who still feel passionately hateful towards the past Japanese Colonial period and wish that it had never happened; Goong fulfilled that wish. It is understandable why the older generation that would be expected not to be so zealous towards a drama or a comic book to be so heartwarming towards Goong and feel it to be such an endearing story.
Although the older generation feels a connection to the story of Goong, the younger generations who were born much after the Japanese Colonial period and would only learn of it from their parents or from textbooks were also intrigued with the drama. Of course they were attracted by the attractive actors in the drama or the beautiful drawings of the comic book and their generation is highlighted by the active media in their society, but if the content of the drama or the comic was substandard it is unlikely Goong would have drawn so much attention from them. The reason behind their adoration for the story could be traced to a trigger in their interest in their country's history for it arose not in the context of a tedious textbook, but a drama and a comic book, which they take up on their free time for their own enjoyment.
Goong called into importance the history of Korea, catching the attention of a wide range of audience. The older generation who remembered the Japanese Colonial period and wished to erase it from Korea's history felt a special connection to the story. The younger generation's interest was stirred by the resurrection of a distant time in their country's history they did not relate to and only learned about from older generations and from their schools. However, would this interest still be the same if the story of Goong was presented in the future when the older generation that could relate to this story was no longer existent and the younger generation no longer even heard about it from older generations? Would the younger generation feel it is too much of a distant past that does not seem relevant to them or even real to them? Also, is the story of Goong just something of a temporary interest like a new pop song by a new debuted artist?

Coffee Prince: Views on Gays in Korea

Just recently I finished a drama series that many people have heard of including my mom. (She's the one who suggested it to me.) The series is called "Coffee Prince" and is pretty much follows the (love)life of a girl who many mistake for boy and the opening of a coffee shop called the Coffee Prince.
This is a typical drama in the sense that there is a complex web of who likes who and the conflicts between all of those relationships. The twist in this movie is that the main character, who is a girl, is mistaken for a boy. A wealthy man (Han Kyul), who originally hires her Eun-Chan (thinking she's a man) to be his lover to get out of blind dates his grandmother sets up, hires her again (not knowing she's a woman) to work at Coffee Prince, and then falls in love with who he thinks is a man. Han Kyul is not gay but is falling in love with Eun-Chan thinking she is actually a he.
So Han Kyul tries to get over Eun-Chan because he doesn't want to be gay, but ends up professing his love to her. While the two are together Han Kyul still struggles with the fact that Eun-Chan is a man, but because he loves her so much, he's happy anyways. Then, he finds out that Eun-Chan is actually a girl. Of course he's initially upset because she lied to him about being a male so his trust in her takes a blow, but eventually he's happy to be with her as a woman. He keeps on saying "I'm glad you're not a man." when he finds out about her real gender.
I know Korea to be not conservative to gays, and I still think that generally holds true. Although Han Kyung professes he likes Eun-Chan when he thinks she's a guy, he's very relieved when he finds out otherwise. Yes the drama brings being homosexuality into the forefront, but it is something that seems to be dreaded in the drama as well as in the Korean culture. The drama shows that Korean pop culture has started to be more aware, but I have yet to be convinced that the culture is accepting of homosexuality.
What do you think?

Chastity and Chun Hyang

I found Clamp’s The Legend of Chun Hyang to be a fascinating representation of a Korean tale about chastity and loyalty. I was unsurprised to find that Chun Hyang had been injected with brimming self confidence and combat ability, because this makes her a classic comic book hero/heroine. However, I was somewhat puzzled by the manner in which the authors dealt with themes of chastity in the traditional telling of Chun Hyang. I was surprised that the authors chose to make Chun Hyang so young (fourteen), because her young age itself justifies her attitude towards sex in the comic book. When Mong Ryong (who is given no age but appears 5-10 years older) flirts with Chun Hyang, she seems perfectly justified in retorting the advances of this older guy. Chun Hyang’s reactions to Mong Ryong in relation to her mother and the bathing sisters make her appear juvenile more than they construct her as a role model. I have to wonder whether the authors consciously made Chun Hyang laughably disgusted with sex in parody of the traditional tale.

By contrast, in Im Kwon Taek’s film about Chun Hyang makes the themes of the tale more heartfelt by fleshing out Chun Hyang’s character. In the movie, Chun Hyang has the life of an ordinary person, and she is not above the actions and emotions of an ordinary person (as displayed by the sex scenes). What makes Chun Hyang a heroine is her ability to stay true to her emotions in spite of what other people try to force her to do. Im Kwon Taek’s film is primarily about loyalty and staying true to one’s values more than it is about sex.

On another note, after watching the movie of Chun Hyang, I noticed that the main character of the movie really seems to be the governor’s son, and that I felt much more in tune with the emotions and thoughts of the governor’s son than with Chun Hyang. I felt like there were more close up shots of the male characters, and that Im Kwon Taek revealed the governor’s son’s thinking and personality more than that of Chun Hyang. Did Im Kwon Taek have a reason to do this?

Asian Images

As I watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s and write this post I can’t help but think about our readings and discussions of the relation of a text and image. What exactly happens when we bring a piece of literature to the screen or television? Do we lose or do we gain? And what remains of the literature that was adapted?

Timothy Corrigan talks about fidelity to a text in adapting literature to a film. Adapters often want to create or recreate their own interpretation while still maintaining some semblance of faithfulness to a text. In looking at the difference between the films discussed in Corrigan’s essay and the T.V. series adaptation of Goong, I can’t help but wonder if the same standards of fidelity apply to TV as to film. Goong the comic book has so many images and details that it’s hard to image a completely faithful representation of the book on screen. Comic books may be excluded in this since the images are already interpreted for us by the drawings (where as in a novel there are no pictures). Do you think a lot is lost in the translation from one medium to another? Do we look at Goong the same after see the images interpreted for us on screen? And if we did create Goong into a film, would it bring a piece of literature in a “low culture” as Corrigan suggests? Would this be making the assumption that all literature is high culture or is only classical or canonical literature high culture?

Another note on images, when we read a piece from NYT a few classes back, the article mentioned that Japanese characters were drawn with Caucasian features, something we noted was true for the characters in Goong (big round eyes, lighter hair, etc). Characters that were bad or needed to be vilified were drawn with Asian features. So in adapting Goong for TV, shouldn’t the characters be much more anglo-looking? If Caucasian features are considered most desirable, then why don’t directors use more anglicized characters versus very Asian characters? Are the characters we saw on the Princess Hours considered anglicized Asians?